Buzzing in my ears ... or how other people can ruin a perfectly good walk

Published:17:00Saturday 20 April 2013

I’M SURE by now that you’ve got the idea that I love my home town of Montrose, writes I.M. Oan, Montrose Resident. I wouldn’t swap it for...well, I’m not sure. Some things might be tempting.

Anyway, as you know I’m a dog person so at the weekend I like nothing better than a quiet, peaceful walk down “the Broomy” with the mutt. After a busy week my head’s buzzing so it helps me to clear my mind ready for new challenges. Or does it add to the buzzing? It certainly does. I park up and let the dog out only to be greeted by a drive-by from junior on his mini moto. Good job he’s not wearing a helmet, he’ll be able to hear me shout to ask if he can avoid the dog, as he’s the quicker of the two of them.

What harm’s he doing though? After all, his responsible parent is sitting in their car reading the paper while he tears about the playing fields with a shower of grass descending behind him. If he falls off, his parent will know because the buzzing will stop. Onwards we venture.

We get to the start of the old runway, where our brave men sent and manned planes skywards to keep us safe. Can’t moan about them, only salute them. But I’m no more than 200 yards down the runway when what can I hear?

Another buzzing, but louder. Is the mini moto right behind me? No, it’s the big brother of the mini moto. It’s a full-size scrambler-type motorbike tearing up the grass with its knobbly tyres. Ok, keep going. It’s bound to quieten down soon.

At the furthest away point of our walk I can almost hear the waves breaking on the beach. Something ground crew and pilots never heard as it was quite a bit further away back then. I begin to hear a loud metallic clanging sound only to realise it is the scrap facility at the industrial estate. Probably a few of my cars have been through there over the years. If I can hear this here, what must the householders nearby have to put up with? As I start to head back my head is starting to clear. All going well until I get back to the playing fields where I am taken back to the days of the RAF flying over Montrose, defending our skies. Not because we are having a flypast but because the model aeroplane club are out. Ok, the buzzing is annoying but what harm are they doing really? They are not damaging the playing fields at least.

Almost back at the car now when I hear something that appals me more than anything else today - the colourful language that’s coming from a football match on one of the pitches. And it’s not just the players getting carried away and asking for a team mate to pass to them in quite strong terms, it’s the people on the sidelines that are turning the air blue.

So, on my walk I have seen children, ladies, gents and a youth on his motorbike. Ok, stick them all together up the High Street, take me along and I stand in front of them using the same colourful language I’ve just heard and I know what would happen next - I’d get some new wrist jewellery and be off to the cells. Shame there is no one down the “Broomy” that can instill discipline, like a referee. Perhaps I’ll try the other end of the town tomorrow.

So I do. Park up near the old bus garage, and get the lead on the dog and start walking towards Ferryden. Of course I can hear traffic but I’m right next to the main road. Once I get into Ferryden it will quieten down, I think. As we’re walking round the pavement near the Oil Base entrance I can’t help but think that some of the equipment lying there must have been there since the place opened. It’s rusty and looks horrible. Is it any use in that condition?

We walk along looking at the backs of the sheds. Not a great view but better than the rusting hulks. Hardly any traffic about now as we near the pier when “boom”. They are loading one of the boats in the harbour. Judging by the noise it was empty to start with and the first loads into the empty vessel have echoed around sounding like a monster from the deep waking from slumber.

It does appear that wherever you go in Montrose there is some degree of noise. Whether it’s associated with our industrial areas, which employ people and keep the town going, or our recreational areas that are being used by some and abused by others, we should welcome a bit of noise. It shows there are some things going on around here and that there truly is a buzz about Montrose.